The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-09-24
A WORD ON PENSIONS.
Some Changes IN the Law Recommend
ed by Commissioner Black in the
Interest of Justice to the Sol
der and his Dependents.
Statistics .0rer Half Million PEN
si0ners on the Roll---More Pen
sions Last Year Than
Ever Before.

WASHINGTON, Sept 15.-General
John G. Black, Commissioner of Pen
sions, in his annual report to the
Secretary of the Interior. makes the
following important suggestions:
First-That the allowance Of 81
per month to minor children entitled
to pensions is not adequate for their
support and should be increased to
IS per month.
Second-That the act of June l6,
1880, be so amended as to permit
the benefits of the act to be extend
ed to those who, subsequent to the
date of it's approval, from aggrava-
tion of their malady, may have be-
come helpless.
Third-That the existing law that
widows pension certificate can
only bear date from the day on
which she files her application be
amended to allow the continuance of
the pension to date from the death
of the husband, the other conditions
required by the law being present.
Fourth-That section AIS of the
Revised Statutes be so amended as
to prohibit the payment of more
than one pension to the same person.
Fifth-That the law requiring 4
pension to be granted according to
the rank of the claimant at the time
the injury was received should be
amended so that rank subsequently
acquired bonafide may be considered
by the commissioner in determining
the amount of the pension to be al
lowed.
Sixth-That the present rate for
deafness should be increased by law
to $50 per month for total deafness,
with intermediate grades to be de-
termined according to degree of dis
ability.
Seventh-That discretion should
be lodged in the Commissioner in
correcting discrepancies in the rates
of pensions for loss of limbs, or Con.
gress should be asked to establish q
table of rates for loss of limbs.
Eighth-That this law shall be
amended so that the Commissioner
shall be authorized to pay the pen
sion to the wife Of pensioner or tC
a suitable person ON behalf of his
children, when the habits of the pen
sioner show him to be an unfit per
son to receive or disburse his pen
sion
Ninth-That an appropriation O
$4,000 be made to defray the ex
pense of additional necessary pen
sion agencies.
The report shows that there were
at the close of the year 406,007 pen
sioners. There were added to tn,
rolls during the year the names o
1874 new pensioners and the names
of 2,707 whose pensions had beer
previously dropped were restored tt
the rolls. During the same perioC
the names of 1857 pensioners wer,
dropped from the rolls. The aggre
gate annual value of all pensions il
$50, S24, GAL, an increase of like value
for the year Of $S.116,633. TIL,
amount paid for pensions during TIN
previous year was $9,669,750. Th'
amount paid to 44,019 new pension
ers during the year upon first pay
ment was $25, 166, 800. During tn
So, 1874 original certificates were is
sued, greater number than wa
ever before issued by the bureau il
any one year.
The estimates for the fiscal yea
ending June 80, 1888, aggregate $40
045, 23O.
The appropriation for the last fis
cal year was $73, ?01, $50.